Questions on Standard ofClassiifcation and Determination ofPhysical Constitutions in TCM / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

The standard ofClassificationandDetermination of Physical Constitutions in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which was issued by the China Association of TCM in 2009, has been promoted and implemented. However, we found that the criteria were inconsistent with the principles and methods of constitution classification in TCM after serious research. The features for physical constitution classification were repetitive and redundant without clear boundaries among them. Furthermore, there were poor correlations among different factors within a single physical constitution. Accordingly, it was suggested that the theory of physical constitutions in TCM should not be confused with and treated as the science of it. Because the standard ofClassiifcationandDetermination of Physical Constitutions in TCM is not mature enough, we should be cautious when applying it.